US5667549A - Method and system to automatically lift the curtains of the exit hood of a machine for the production of float flat glass - Google Patents
Method and system to automatically lift the curtains of the exit hood of a machine for the production of float flat glass Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US5667549A US5667549A US08/591,770 US59177096A US5667549A US 5667549 A US5667549 A US 5667549A US 59177096 A US59177096 A US 59177096A US 5667549 A US5667549 A US 5667549A
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- light beam
- glass
- glass ribbon
- curtains
- reflected light
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
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Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
- G01N21/84—Systems specially adapted for particular applications
- G01N21/88—Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination
- G01N21/89—Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination in moving material, e.g. running paper or textiles
- G01N21/892—Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination in moving material, e.g. running paper or textiles characterised by the flaw, defect or object feature examined
- G01N21/896—Optical defects in or on transparent materials, e.g. distortion, surface flaws in conveyed flat sheet or rod
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
- C03B—MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
- C03B18/00—Shaping glass in contact with the surface of a liquid
- C03B18/02—Forming sheets
- C03B18/16—Construction of the float tank; Use of material for the float tank; Coating or protection of the tank wall
Definitions
- This invention is related to a machine and its method of operation for the production of float flat glass by the floating process, and more specifically to a system to automatically lift the outlet curtains of the exit hood of the machine, operate the reheating system of the floating chamber, retract the glass edge follower mechanism of the glass ribbon, and trigger the alarm of the glass forming machine, so as to allow for the rapid restoration of the glass ribbon forming process.
- exit hood act as gates to avoid heat loss from the exit hood and floating chamber.
- the height of these curtains is commonly adjusted by a manually operated mechanical positioning system.
- the curtains can be lifted to their maximum height in the case of an emergency, usually by a pneumatic motor, coupled to the positioning system.
- Other components of the machine such as the reheating system of the glass chamber which compensates for thermal looses at the curtains, and the glass edge follower mechanism which helps in guiding the glass ribbon and which has to be withdrawn in case of a breakage to avoid the broken glass from clogging at the curtains, among others, also have to be controlled in case of a breakage of the glass ribbon.
- the controls should also allow a rapid restoration and continuation of the forming process without inconvenient loss of time, energy and materials.
- the curtains are automatically lifted immediately upon breakage of the glass ribbon, and other actions are taken to avoid undesirable interruptions of the process.
- This system has been developed after research to find a solution that does not depend on the operator's awareness of the problem and response time. Hence, applicants have invented a system which automatically and immediately takes such actions upon detecting such glass breaking.
- the detection of a breaking of the glass ribbon is carried out, in accordance with the present invention, by the incidence of a light beam on the glass surface.
- the reflected light beam provides a signal representative of the absence or deviation of the light beam because of a breakage of the glass ribbon.
- This signal is fed to a data processor which, upon receiving the signal representative of the absence of the light beam, provides operating signals to actuators to operate i) the curtain lifting mechanism, ii) the reheating system of the glass chamber (to keep a thermal equilibrium), iii) the glass edge follower mechanism (to retract it and avoid clogging), and iv) to trigger the alarm of the machine, to carry out other necessary control operations to allow for a rapid restoration of the process.
- FIG. 1 is an schematic perspective view of a conventional floating machine for the production of float flat glass by a floating process, incorporating the system of the present invention to automatically lift the outlet curtains of the exit hood.
- FIG. 2 is a front, partial cross section of the system of the present invention, to automatically lift the outlet curtains of the exit hood, in a machine for the production of float flat glass by a floating process, and
- FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the system of FIGS. 1 and 2.
- FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings there is shown a machine for the production of float flat glass by a floating process according to the present invention. It comprises a floating chamber 1, from which a glass ribbon is continuously emerging; a plurality of conveyor rollers 2 to convey the glass ribbon exiting from the floating chamber 1; and an exit hood structure 10 at the output of the floating chamber 1.
- the exit hood structure comprises side supports 11 and 12; and a holding structure 20 to hold a plurality of curtains 21 and 22.
- the curtains act as gates to avoid heat looses from the floating chamber 1.
- the exit hood structure also includes a gas extractor 30 to extract the gases which could be accumulated in the exit hood structure 10.
- the glass ribbon is thermally treated at a tempering chamber 40 which properly is not a part of the forming machine.
- FIG. 3 shows the system to automatically lift the curtains 21 and 22 of the exit hood 10 of a machine for the production of float flat glass by the floating process according to the present invention.
- the automatic system includes a light beam emitter 50 operated by a source of DC 51 through an on/off switch 52, which is operating a power source 53.
- the emitter 50 is held by a side support 11 of the exit hood structure 10, at an edge over the glass ribbon GR to provide a light beam ILB which is incident on a surface of the glass ribbon GR conveyed by the conveying rollers 2 and is reflected as a reflected light beam RLB by the glass surface of the glass ribbon GR.
- Receptor 60 provides a signal S1 representative of the absence or deviation of the reflected light beam RLB because of break of the glass ribbon GR.
- a controller 70 which normally is an amplifier module AM, receives the signal S1 from beam receptor 60 and is representative of the absence or deviation of the reflected light beam RLM. Controller 70 processes this signal through a regulating source 71, to which are connected, timers 72 and 73 and an output relay 74.
- Output relay 74 provides operating signals S2, S3, S4 and S5 to on/off switches 80, 81 82 and 83 to respectively: trigger the emergency alarm A; operate the lifting mechanisms B of the curtains 21 and 22, to automatically lift them and avoid clogging of the broken glass ribbon GR at the curtains 21 and 22; operate the reheating system C, to compensate for and/or maintain the proper thermal conditions in the exit hood structure 10; and retract the glass edge follower mechanism D to prevent that mechanism from pushing the broken glass and create a clog at the curtains 21 and 22.
- the light emitter 50 is a laser beam emitter, with the laser incident on or about a central portion of the glass ribbon at an angle of about 25°.
- the method of the present invention to automatically lift the curtains of the exit hood of a machine for the production of float flat glass by a floating process comprises:
Abstract
Description
Claims (5)
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US08/591,770 US5667549A (en) | 1996-01-25 | 1996-01-25 | Method and system to automatically lift the curtains of the exit hood of a machine for the production of float flat glass |
MXPA/A/1997/000600A MXPA97000600A (en) | 1996-01-25 | 1997-01-23 | Method and system for automatically lifting the curtains of the outlet cover of a machine for the production of plot glass flot |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US08/591,770 US5667549A (en) | 1996-01-25 | 1996-01-25 | Method and system to automatically lift the curtains of the exit hood of a machine for the production of float flat glass |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US5667549A true US5667549A (en) | 1997-09-16 |
Family
ID=24367867
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US08/591,770 Expired - Lifetime US5667549A (en) | 1996-01-25 | 1996-01-25 | Method and system to automatically lift the curtains of the exit hood of a machine for the production of float flat glass |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US5667549A (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20060108346A1 (en) * | 2003-03-12 | 2006-05-25 | Toivo Janhunen | Method and apparatus for monitoring safety glass production or controlling a treatment process |
CN110963694A (en) * | 2019-12-27 | 2020-04-07 | 蚌埠中光电科技有限公司 | Automatic lifting device for transition roller table check curtain of float glass production line |
Citations (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2621808A (en) * | 1945-08-24 | 1952-12-16 | Frazier Simplex | Apparatus responsive to variations in liquid level |
US2625658A (en) * | 1946-09-19 | 1953-01-13 | Frazier Simplex | Tank level control |
US3251667A (en) * | 1959-04-07 | 1966-05-17 | Saint Gobain | Shaping glass sheet on molten metal bath |
JPS5022048A (en) * | 1973-05-29 | 1975-03-08 | ||
JPS60107547A (en) * | 1983-11-17 | 1985-06-13 | Asahi Glass Co Ltd | Top and reverse discrimination method of float glass plate |
US4585343A (en) * | 1983-11-04 | 1986-04-29 | Libbey-Owens-Ford Company | Apparatus and method for inspecting glass |
US4665392A (en) * | 1984-11-13 | 1987-05-12 | Ppg Industries, Inc. | Method of and apparatus for detecting presence of a mark on a transparent substrate |
-
1996
- 1996-01-25 US US08/591,770 patent/US5667549A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Patent Citations (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2621808A (en) * | 1945-08-24 | 1952-12-16 | Frazier Simplex | Apparatus responsive to variations in liquid level |
US2625658A (en) * | 1946-09-19 | 1953-01-13 | Frazier Simplex | Tank level control |
US3251667A (en) * | 1959-04-07 | 1966-05-17 | Saint Gobain | Shaping glass sheet on molten metal bath |
JPS5022048A (en) * | 1973-05-29 | 1975-03-08 | ||
US4585343A (en) * | 1983-11-04 | 1986-04-29 | Libbey-Owens-Ford Company | Apparatus and method for inspecting glass |
JPS60107547A (en) * | 1983-11-17 | 1985-06-13 | Asahi Glass Co Ltd | Top and reverse discrimination method of float glass plate |
US4665392A (en) * | 1984-11-13 | 1987-05-12 | Ppg Industries, Inc. | Method of and apparatus for detecting presence of a mark on a transparent substrate |
Non-Patent Citations (1)
Title |
---|
COMAX Laser Level Gauge Product Data LL 01 Information Sheet, Courser Inc., Elmira, New York, 6 pages Dec. 1980. * |
Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20060108346A1 (en) * | 2003-03-12 | 2006-05-25 | Toivo Janhunen | Method and apparatus for monitoring safety glass production or controlling a treatment process |
US7414223B2 (en) * | 2003-03-12 | 2008-08-19 | Tamglass Ltd. Oy | Method and apparatus for monitoring safety glass production or controlling a treatment process |
CN110963694A (en) * | 2019-12-27 | 2020-04-07 | 蚌埠中光电科技有限公司 | Automatic lifting device for transition roller table check curtain of float glass production line |
CN110963694B (en) * | 2019-12-27 | 2024-01-12 | 蚌埠中光电科技有限公司 | Automatic lifting device for transition roller table curtain of float glass production line |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
MX9700600A (en) | 1998-06-30 |
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Owner name: VIDRIO PLANO DE MEXICO, S.A.DE C.V., MEXICO Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:ALARCON-LOPEZ, MANUEL;ROMAN-GOMEZ, LENIN;ROJAS-CORTES, RAFAEL-JORGE;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:007853/0118 Effective date: 19960118 |
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